


down below, it's all a little strange

by blue_roses



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Background Relationships, Established Relationship, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Mild Gore, Supernatural Elements, casino setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 17:02:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8409598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_roses/pseuds/blue_roses
Summary: It started, like any bad customer service story, with an entitled, angry white person in their mid 40s-50s. Keith could never tell with this shit.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> dedicated to everett, who was like lol it'd be funny if u wrote a fic drunk well who's laughing now

  It was a little surreal, the way everything played out like a shitty game of cards. Though Keith had always been bad with games, so he supposed that was his norm. Keith didn’t remember the last time he won, or the last time he took a game slow. Lance, on the other hand, almost savored any game he could get his hands on. All Keith could do in response to that was sigh. Because what else was there left to do?

  Lance played blackjack like his life depended on it, and Keith wondered if Russian Roulette had gotten too boring for him. It was still Keith’s favorite when it came to the Underground, though the last time someone died was way too messy for his taste. Or Lance’s, for that matter. Lance always had a freshly pressed suit, and the few (lucky) times Keith saw Lance with his shirt off, he’d even put on concealer on his surgery scars. In the Underground, it’s difficult to pretend, but it’s a necessary evil to make sure no one knows who you really are.

  Keith doesn’t have to put much effort in when it comes to avoiding identification. He’s lived a life outside of most population, out of a mix of pleasure and fear that feels more like a cocktail the more he thought about it. A dealer, Pidge, always laughed when she saw his flip phone. At least she had the decency not to gasp like Lance, but Keith still wasn’t sure which was worse. 

  Lance on the other hand, had a life. Keith can tell, because Lance had a day job, a family, friends, all that stuff that Keith’s always sort of lacked. Which means he had attachments, which means Lance wore a blue wig and padding in the shoulders and a near ridiculous costume every day to keep it all together. Keith didn’t envy him for that, all he had to do was wear a mask. 

  Though Keith mostly did work setting up tables, serving drinks. Lance was a dealer, sometimes bartender. Hunk was a bartender, sometimes dealer. Keith remembered this because they introduced themselves each other’s other halves. Keith only realized it was both platonic and professional later than he probably should have. Pidge was the one who just said she was a full time dealer, liked seeing people squirm. Keith didn’t share the sentiment. He was satisfied without thinking of their customers at all.

   Keith had to change eventually, and he did so on a Wednesday night. One that was slowly but steadily transitioning into a Thursday morning. Keith wasn’t particularly fond of this crowd, never tipped much, always wanted hard liquor without thinking they’d lose. It was a little ridiculous in the Underground on the hump nights and their transitions, but Keith did his job well. 

  Lance was the dealer, and he was great at defusing situations. But this crowd proved itself especially difficult. Keith and Hunk were ready to become hired muscle at any point in time for Lance. However, Lance always did have his pride, and it usually turned in his favor, so there were no complaints. On a Wednesday night, none of this seemed to apply itself. 

   It started, like any bad customer service story, with an entitled, angry white person in their mid 40s-50s. Keith could never tell with this shit. A woman in a fancy dress, with fur Keith was pretty sure was real, splashed a drink over Lance’s costume, Keith felt himself seethe. Lance kept a smile plastered on his face, one he would have never kept if Keith did the same thing. He knew Lance’s pride was bigger than his own when it came to people.

   Hunk would be nice about it, but Keith already had knuckles on. He wouldn’t attack anyone but her guards, and no one would notice the knuckles if he was fast enough. But Lance was about to get cornered, he could see a gun out of the corner of his eye. Keith lunged, taking the gun out of the woman’s hand in a single move.

   “Listen,” Keith said, “just because you’re dead doesn’t mean the rest of us are too. Our dealer has no obligation to give you special service.”

 The woman seethed, eyes slowly dripping out of her sockets in a strange smelling liquid. Her teeth grew sharper, as did the whites of her hair. Keith was lucky he was only half human, no way he’d want anyone else getting involved in this. There was a reason he didn’t have a set job in the Underground after all. Hades wasn’t the best boss, but she let Keith come back up on weekends, and the rest after shifts, That was fine by him. It also helped that Hades was his brother’s wife. Keith usually didn’t mention the last part to most people. 

  “Let’s go outside,” Keith said, and it was less of a suggestion than a command. He could hear a sharp intake of breath--Lance. Keith shook his head, and led the woman, and her large entourage. It ended simply: with cracked bones, a couple curses, and a guarantee that the woman was going to contact Hades. A real shame Allura actually kind of liked him. 

   Then, there was Lance. At the end of their shifts, the ones Lance always looked forward to so he could go home to his family, he waited. Lance sat outside, he almost tried to fake smoke to look like he had a reason, but he gave up the moment he saw Keith’s face.

   “Babe,” Lance said, pulling Keith down next to him on the fake pavement. There might have been a few rotting faces or souls, Keith long since learned to ignore background noise. Especially when Lance was talking, though the Keith of a year ago wouldn’t have believed it. 

   “Babe,” Lance repeated, “you shouldn’t beat up people for me.” He wrapped his arm around Keith’s back. 

   “They were a danger to the establishment and Hades’s business,” Keith said, and neither of them believed it. Them dating for six months kind of helped with telling when the other was full of shit. 

    “There’s still no need to white knight me,” Lance sighed, “ever since the whole. Naked thing..”

   “You can just say sex,” Keith said. He felt a shiver in his spine just thinking about it. It wasn’t much to get worked up about, but that sure didn’t stop Keith before he and Lance got together. And now? Well,  _ fuck _ . 

    “Well  _ you  _ can just---” Lance shook his head -- “not say that. Anyways, I know this is stupid and all but I got this thought in my head and I can’t shake it off. I just...is it because I’m not, well, because I don’t have the expected anatomy? Ugh. It’s ridiculous I know I just--”

   “What,” Keith said.

   “Oh,” Lance said.

   “That’s,” Keith said, “not it. I just. Didn’t want you to be revealed or anything. Because I couldn’t protect you. There’s a reason I’m here, and it’s because I’m usually enough to scare people off.”

    “I wish you wouldn’t say that,” Lance said,

    “I wish you wouldn’t either,” Keith said, “want to work on it together?” He was smiling by the end of it. He knew he went a little purple when he smiled, with slightly sharper teeth to go with it. Perks of being only half human, he supposed. As if anyone would believe he was a descendant of Demeter. 

    Lance laughed at that, “I can’t believe you sometimes, you know that right?”

   “I’m right here though?” Keith replied. 

    “Ah,” Lance said, “I just. Did you know you’re really amazing. And if the anatomy thing doesn’t bug you, do you want to go back to my place?”

   “Lance,” Keith said, “I literally live with you after dinners. But yes, but only if you’re cooking.”

   “To get a babe like you in bed with me?” Lance grinned, “I’m bringing my A-game.” 

   “I’m glad,” Keith smiled, “because I really wanted to do something more to that customer.”

    “But  _ why _ ?” Lance asked as he stood up, Keith took his hand, making sure his nails didn’t scrape the skin that felt so human against his. 

     “Couldn’t you tell?” Keith asked, “She wanted you just the way I did, with a little more dead on the side.”

     “I don’t know what you  _ mean _ ,” Lance said, and Keith could see Lance’s pout before the other even recognized it. So he leaned in, and on his way to the Upper World, made sure to elaborate how  _ much  _ he and that shitty customer had in common when it came to Keith’s amazing boyfriend. 


End file.
